A DROP in wind power while solar soared proves Westminster must support a renewables mix, it is claimed – as subsidy support ends.
Environmental charity WWF said the latest results from power giant SSE prove the need for a range of eco-energy schemes as conditions change.
The Perth company revealed an £80 million fall in predicted first-quarter profits after hot, calm conditions saw consumer demand fall and wind turbines stay still.
The report, issued on the same day as the company's annual general meeting, came as Westminster's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed plans to end the feed-in tariff scheme, which was designed to encourage the adoption of proven low-carbon technologies.
The system was geared towards small-scale generation, such as solar and wind devices on individual farms.
Under the plan, revealed in a consultation launched yesterday, it will close to new applicants next April.
Hannah Smith of industry body Scottish Renewables, said: "Government proposals to close the scheme in its entirety, by its own admission, risk both jobs in the sector and decreases in deployment levels of small-scale low carbon generation."
She went on: "At a time when we need to make our energy system smarter and develop a strong post-Brexit economy, denying a future for these technologies makes no sense.
“It is crucial now that we protect these benefits by delivering meaningful support."
The BEIS consultation document states that government support has "driven down the cost of small-scale low-carbon electricity generation significantly", adding: "As costs continue to fall and deployment without direct subsidy becomes increasingly possible for parts of the sector, it is right that government acts to ensure continued value for money for bill payers over the longer term."
However, Smith says previous cuts to the tariff have been followed by a drop in deployment of hydro and wind projects, with some firms entering liquidation and others facing "significant uncertainty".
SSE said higher levels of snow melt in the first three months of the year had boosted hydro power output, but "poorer than average wind conditions" had seen electricity production from both onshore and offshore turbines drop by around 15 per cent of projections.
Gina Hanrahan, acting head of policy at WWF Scotland, told The National: “While we have seen wind output drop during this recent hot weather, solar power has soared, demonstrating how a strong mix of renewables technologies can combine to help us tackle climate change.
"The latest data shows that households in cities across Scotland, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, could have enjoyed more than 130 per cent of their electricity for the whole month of June from solar energy alone.
"Renewables are increasingly central to our energy system. To make sure we have a clean, resilient power system we need clear UK Government support for a mix of renewables, particularly low cost onshore wind and solar, together with storage, flexibility and efforts to reduce electricity demand.”
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